Which musicians (other than bass) do you admire?

[OutToPlayJazz]

After the huge debates on virtuoso bass players on here, I started thinking of which other musicians I generally admired...

I came to the conclusion that I really marvel over jazz pianists. Now I can play the piano (at least well enough to accompany violin/viola/cello/bass pupils), but when it comes to jazz pianists it's another ballgame althogether! These guys take a tune & vamp the chords at sight, improvise over the top & during all this, they're figuring out what inversions of the chords will fit, missing the root note most of the time & make it all look seamless!

I really wish I could do all that!

Which type of players do you guys admire most?

[jakenewmanbass]

Bill Evans.

[waynepunkdude]

Drummers,musicians? are you sure?

[velvetkevorkian]

Jazz drummers and certain shred guitarists.

[waynepunkdude]

I really rate Jack White.

Hugely talented but doesn't show it off he just adds to songs.

[Master blaster]

i hate to say this but i do admire good drummers. I always take the mick outa them, as they do me but theres nothing like playing with a really good drummer. Ive played with a few bad drummers before and it made everything so hard. Also ive been playing drums for about a year to improve my rhythm when playing. I found learning drums made me a beter player and i recommend that other bassists should do it to.

[waynepunkdude]

[quote name='Master blaster' post='258535' date='Aug 8 2008, 10:02 PM']i hate to say this but i do admire good drummers. I always take the mick outa them, as they do me but theres nothing like playing with a really good drummer. Ive played with a few bad drummers before and it made everything so hard. Also ive been playing drums for about a year to improve my rhythm when playing. I found learning drums made me a beter player and i recommend that other bassists should do it to.[/quote]

+1

Our drummer is amazing way too good for Punk but I'm not going to tell him that.

[OutToPlayJazz]

[quote name='Master blaster' post='258535' date='Aug 8 2008, 10:02 PM']i hate to say this but i do admire good drummers. I always take the mick outa them, as they do me but theres nothing like playing with a really good drummer. Ive played with a few bad drummers before and it made everything so hard. Also ive been playing drums for about a year to improve my rhythm when playing. I found learning drums made me a beter player and i recommend that other bassists should do it to.[/quote]

Another +1 here, too!

I've also been fortunate to work with some amazing drummers, but as with the rest of you, I've also worked with some real clunkers! And yes, it does make your life as a bass player really hard work. I suppose the bad ones have one purpose in life... To make us appreciate the fab drummers!

[doctor_of_the_bass]

I think it really boils down to the fact that any band is only really as good as its drummer - I find it marvellous to play with a drummer who can keep great time - don't get me wrong - I love clever chops but give me a timekeeper over fillage! One of the best drummers I work with does a lot of work with Alan Price - he's called Martin Wild (based in Northampton) and he is excellent - solid as a rock and very inventive but supportive. He listens. We do panto together and its a joy (oh yes it is!)

I admire anyone who can play good piano and Stanley Jordan does it for me on guitar! Very clever.

[doctor_of_the_bass]

Rich

Clunkers - you've nailed it mate! I like that term. We call them `numpties' round this way!

[OutToPlayJazz]

Hey Nick Yes, I use 'numpties' as well! (I'm a Southerner really!)

In The PHD trio (rock band) we're fortunate to have Brett Hallam (ex Shirley Bassey, Marmalade, etc...) He's the kind of player that naturally fills the gaps & not only compliments my fills with his own, but also seems to predict what I'm going to do! It's that sort of psychic playing relationship that I know I've missed when playing with some other drummers.

The OutToPlayJazz band has Dave Armshaw (aka. Mr.Harmshaw) who is a very similar player to Brett but has 30 years' less playing experience. We also use Matt Dabbs (formerly from chart band 'Long View') who is possibly the most musical drummer I've ever worked with. His light/shade & phrasing are second to none!

[E_MaN]

My first bass tutor was actually a classical guitarist, Philip Booth, who as a person and as a muscian one of the most delightful people I have ever met. To me he represents a quality of musicmanship and skill that if I ever reach (doubtful) I would hope I would of done pretty well for myself.

Stevie Wonder to me is just amazing, great song writer.

Michel Camilo is again an amazing composer and player, and just flirts through styles with ease.

BUT OVERALL I think I admire musicians with a great sence of melody, melody always draws me whether its bass, keys, strings, orchestral...whatever!!!!

[Mr Fudge]

Neil Young has produced 40 years of uncompromised genious. I love him.

Musicians I appreciate as a musician are mostly guitar players, Richard Thompson, Kim Mitchell, Alan Morse, Stephen Stills.

Neil is unbeatable in every respect though.

[Thunderthumbs]

To name but a few.....

Guitarists:
Frank Gambale, Martin Taylor, Francis Dunnery

Drummers:
Dave Weckl, Buddy Rich, Vinnie Colauita, Phil Gould, Gary Husband, Billy Cobham, Neil Peart

Keyboard players:
Chick Corea, Michel Petrucciani

I also really admire people like Neil Finn, not for being a great musician, but for being an incredible songwriter which in many ways is as important, if not more so, than just being a great guitarist/drummer, etc.

As for people I know, our current drummer is a 24 Slovakian, and he's an incredible drummer. Jazz trained, but can turn his hand to anything. He's improved me as a bass player just by playing with him. He's also a great guy which is half the thing for me - he's like a younger brother, despite me being old enough to be his dad! I played with the previous drummer for around 7 months, and never felt connected with him either musically or personally. Me and Marek hit it off at his audition....it was just obvious he was the guy for us.

I've also played with a guy called Jeremy Sassoon who is an incredible trumpeter, and then I go and find he's as good on the keyboards. God I hate him

Edited August 8, 2008 by Thunderthumbs

[waynepunkdude]

How could we forget Dave Grohl ?

Also Damon Albarn is an amazing multi instrumental talent.

[mcgraham]

OTPJ, I definitely agree with you about good jazz pianists. Tis amazing. And saying that, Hiromi definitely gets my vote as one of the most amazing musicians out there.

I also agree about drummers, when you get a good one it's a dream, when you get a 'clunker' it's a painful experience. Bizarrely enough, Hiromi's drummer Martin Valihora is a drummer whose style and chops really speak to me. Derek Phillips is another good drummer I like (Charlie Hunter 'Right Now Live').

Guitarists- Joe Satriani and Paco DeLucia, both truly inspirational musicians.

Violinists- Maxim Vengerov, flipping heck this guy is phenomenal.

Mark

[Thunderthumbs]

[quote name='mcgraham' post='258630' date='Aug 9 2008, 12:16 AM']Paco DeLucia....truly inspirational[/quote]
I'll never forget getting home late from a gig many, many years ago, very tired.

I sat scanning through the old German satellite channels and came across Paco, John McLaughlin and Al Di Meola playing acoustic guitars.

I chucked a VHS tape in the old video recorder and sat mesmerised. It was absolutely stunning and I completely forgot that I was tired. Just amazing.

I then went to Australia years later, and got hold of a copy of the CD of that night, on a market stall at a knock down price. Wonderful bit of business.

[thisnameistaken]

[quote name='doctor_of_the_bass' post='258562' date='Aug 8 2008, 10:35 PM']I think it really boils down to the fact that any band is only really as good as its drummer[/quote]

Very true.

I think if I didn't play bass I'd play trombone. Actually I've got a trombone but I only ever feel like picking it up in the summer, so given that I live in England I don't pick it up very often.

But yeah the old big band bandleaders like Glenn Miller and Tommy Dorsey, and of course guys like Rico and Fred Wesley, I hugely admire.

[bnt]

I'm a big fan of guitarist Bill Nelson, who's been putting out weird retro-futuristic songs for many years now, since Be Bop Deluxe broke up, starting with [i][url="http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=hMmmhyrvRsE"]Do You Dream In Colour?[/url][/i]. This is [i]Spinning Planet[/i] from his Flashlight Dreams DVD, from a few years ago, where he did everything including the video:


Also, some one who's worked with Bill, and with pianist Roger Eno, in the band Channel Light Vessel and on other projects: Kate St. John, who does amazing things with various woodwinds, especially the oboe. Kate was an original member of The Dream Academy, and does a fair bit of orchestral and soundtrack work too. Here's one of Kate's solo pieces, [i]Indescribable Night[/i]:

Edited August 9, 2008 by bnt

[dub_junkie]

+1 on Bill Nelson. 20 odd years ago I bought his album "Chimera". Loved his work ever since.Massively talented and even more prolific.

other guitarists I like for being a bit different are Robin Simon(Magazine/Ultravox),John McGeoch (RIP)(Magazine/Banshees) Will Seargant (Echo & The Bunnymen) Johnny Marr (The Smiths,Electronic etc)and Charlie Burchill for his early work with Simple Minds

Drummers I like would be Steve Jansen (Japan) and Budgie (banshees)

from a songwriting point of view...John Foxx (saw him doing the metamatic album at the Barfly Glasgow last year and it was fantastic)the guy from Anthony and the Johnsons and The Blue Nile

I'm not really up on other instruments but i always liked Andy Mckays sax and oboe on the early Roxy music stuff and Billy Currie's keyboard and violin with Ultravox

[xilddx]

[quote name='Thunderthumbs' post='258601' date='Aug 8 2008, 11:24 PM']To name but a few.....

Guitarists:
Frank Gambale, Martin Taylor, Francis Dunnery[/quote]

A Frank Dunnery fan at last! I salute you! I adore his songwriting, voice and guitar playing. Martin Taylor is a wonderful player, but Gambale?? To me he's bloody awful. I had the misfortune of meeting him at a guitar expo once, the arpeggios were as mad as his haircut.

I really can't get enough of Stewart Copeland.

Alex Lifeson is the epitome of style and substance. The weird mistakes he makes (and which he seems to be comfortable letting get to the record) are my biggest musical education.

Count Dubulah from early Transglobal Underground knocks me out.

Sly and Robbie, nuff said.

Edited August 9, 2008 by silddx

[Balcro]

[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='258521' date='Aug 8 2008, 09:47 PM']After the huge debates on virtuoso bass players on here, I started thinking of which other musicians I generally admired...

I really wish I could do all that!

Which type of players do you guys admire most?[/quote]

Mmm! Type?
I think it's got to be the contributors, not necessarily the stars. Someone who puts a stamp on the group sound and or who adds something beyond just notes. +1 with E_man on that sense of melody.

Here's some random choices.

Dave Grusin - piano/jazz/soundtracks etc.

Stamp on the sound type: -
Lonnie Turner - bass with the Steve Miller Band.
Jon Lord - Deep Purple.
Verden Allen - Mott the Hoople.
The late Dick Heckstall-Smith - Colosseum.

Violin: -
The late Henryk Szeryng. Listen to his playing of Beethoven's Violin Concerto. Concertgebouw/Haitink.

Voice? Joe Cocker. David Coverdale. OK, just one star -Freddy Mercury. Nat King Cole - didn't really need the orchestra.
Alison Moyet. For a few fleeting years, Aled Jones.

[blamelouis]

Hmmm nice thread.

Guitar = John Scofield , John McLaughlin and Alan Murphy

Drums = Omar Hakim, Stewart Copeland and Mark Brzezicki

Sax = Bill Evans, Branford Marsalis and Dave Liebman

And as far as composers go David Sylvian , Andy Partridge and Phil Lynnott.

[Thunderthumbs]

[quote name='silddx' post='258655' date='Aug 9 2008, 03:10 AM']A Frank Dunnery fan at last! I salute you![/quote]
You're welcome . Do you know he now does gigs in your own home if you can afford it? He comes round, does a few songs, and then rattles on about phylosophy for the majority of the night. A mate of mine (who's also a big fan) went to a shindig at his friend's house. But he came away thinking that sadly, Frank's head appears to be shoved firmly up his own rectum.

[quote name='silddx' post='258655' date='Aug 9 2008, 03:10 AM']Gambale?? To me he's bloody awful.[/quote]
And ain't that why we're all great? We've all got different opinions, all different tastes. Seen him play live a few times, never actually met him, but I find his sweeping technique fantastic. Saw him do a solo at the Brecon Jazz Festival where he played virtually all the way up the neck from bottom E to the top of the neck on his top E......and it was melodic (unlike "shredders"). That technique looks effortless.

[quote name='silddx' post='258655' date='Aug 9 2008, 03:10 AM']I really can't get enough of Stewart Copeland.[/quote]
Yes, yes, and thrice yes.

Actually, thinking about wierd musicians, your avatar's just reminded me of something. I did a bit of TV work some years back, and after the last programme of the series, we set up in the bar and did a gig. We were joined by Uncle Peter (Woof, Bark, Donkey) on drums, and Fish on vocals, whilst being watched by Noddy Holder and Frank Sidebottom. Surreal.

[wombatboter]

Drums : Stewart Copeland, Steve Gadd, Vinnie Colaiuta, Manu Katché

Guitar : Steve Lukather, Jeff Beck, Mark Knopfler, Larry Carlton

Keyboards : Stevie Wonder (those bass-synths....!)

Horns : Frank Deruytter (Belgian sax-player, I don't like saxophones a lot but he makes me forget that)